Premier Ben-gurion Urges Israelis to Be Ready to Meet ‘grave Tests’

October 9, 1961

TEL AVIV (Oct. 8)

“Israel still faces grave tests, and all Israelis should be ready to meet those tests, ” Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion warned today. He addressed colorful ceremonies at the nearby Ramat Gan Stadium, where 20,000 Israelis who had served in the Jewish Legions during World Wars I and II received volunteers’ decorations.

Among the recipients of the decorations were Mr. Ben-Gurion himself and President Izhak Ben-Zvi, both of whom served with the British forces in World War I. “Israel’s fighters in the War of Liberation,” in 1948, Mr. Ben-Gurion pointed out, “formed the continuation of spirit that had imbued those who went first to the Jewish Legion in World War I then in the Second World War.”

Israel army infantry tactics, which in recent years have been designed to neutralize and overcome the Russian-style attack procedures practiced by the United Arab Republic ground forces, will be tested at large scale ground exercises on “Infantry Day” tomorrow.

Colonel Bar Sever of General Headquarters described some of the new tactics in his announcement. They included increased fire power and swift clearance of minefields to make possible greater mobility and better infantry-armor coordination. Heavier “softening up” attacks, followed by infantry and armor onslaughts in attack and heavier fortified lines designed to prevent outflanking movements in defense maneuvers also were listed.